


The Missing Fishes

by Asaliz



Category: Layton Kyouju Series | Professor Layton Series
Genre: F/M, Pictures, Puzzles, story with puzzles
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-02
Updated: 2020-10-09
Packaged: 2021-03-06 06:13:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 1,523
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25658770
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Asaliz/pseuds/Asaliz
Summary: Marina’s friend asked for her help to solve how the fishes had been disappearing from the aquarium she works on. Along with Luke, she goes to help her friend with the case.
Relationships: Luke Triton/Marina Triton
Comments: 17
Kudos: 8





	1. The Aquarium

**Author's Note:**

> Hello, this is actually a very short story, but it will be divided in four parts, the first three parts will end with a puzzle. When someone solves it, I will post the next part. If no one solves it, I will post it in a month.  
> Also, every part will have a clue to find the responsible of the disappearance of the fishes, in the third part, along with the puzzle, you can try to solve the case.  
> The story per se is really simple, it was just an excuse to make a sort of mini game and add the puzzles, plus writing something about Luke and Marina.  
> Hope you have fun!

“Is it here? It seems closed…” Luke commented.

“Yes, don’t worry.” Answered Marina, “Susan must be about to come, the aquarium doesn’t open for visitors on Mondays.”

“On Mondays?”

“Yes, they prefer to open it during the weekends, they had more visitors. Either way, the staff comes to take care of the fishes.”

“And despite having people every day, someone stole the fishes out of their tanks?” he commented incredulous, crossing his arms.

“You think it was someone who works here? I don’t know why someone might want them anyway…”

“Maybe they are exotic, and they are sold as pets?”

“It could be.” She wasn’t very convinced, but didn’t discarded the idea either.

“Marina! Sorry I’m late.” The woman hurried to reach them, and moved her rounded glasses a little before stopping next to them, “Did you wait for too long?”

“No, we had just arrived. Don’t worry. How are you?”

“Fine. Thanks for coming, both of you. I’m Susan Ocean, I guess Marina has told you. A pleasure.”

“Luke Triton, nice to meet you.”

“Let’s get in.” She said while looking for the keys. She was around their age, her hair was tied on a neat bun, and two strands of hair framed her face. Al last, a curl in the middle of her forehead. “wait a second while I deactivate the alarm.” She said before opening the door, a moment later she told them they could get in.

“If you have an alarm, no one from the outside could have entered?”

“I don’t think so… But I can’t assure it either” She said putting a hand on her cheek, gesture that reminded Luke of Flora. “I’m going to make coffee for me, do you want something?”

“I would love a coffee, in the meantime, can we look around at the tanks?”

“Sure. Luke, do you want something?”

“Could I have some tea?”

“Yes, I have some teabags too. When I finish, I will tell you the details, and then I will go check the tanks.”

The couple went inside to look around. They were surprised to see a cat napping over a chair.

“Do you think he ate them?” asked Marina.

“I guess he wouldn’t be here if that was the case.”

“Right. This must be one of the empty tanks.” Luke looked where she was pointing, there were no fishes inside said tank, only algae and sand in the bottom. A sign said:

_[Did you know…?_

_Fishes breath the oxygen dissolved on the water; they can’t breathe it the air like us._

_If they got stuck outside of the water, they would die from asphyxiation._

_They can change not only their color, but also their shape. They could imitate a coral and you won’t even notice.]_

While they walked, they saw various similar signs, with facts about underwater life. Other tanks had its inhabitants inside.

“Look at the color of those fishes!”

“Look at the octopuses!”

A sign said:

_[Did you know…?_

_Some octopuses camouflage better than a chameleon.]_

There were other signs with a more serious tone, indicating the species, diet and habitat of every animal in the tank. It was bigger than the research center on Misthallery.

“The coffee is ready. And the tea.” Susan called them. “Jeez, this tank is empty now!”

“Do you mean it wasn’t before?”

“No, there were some yesterday.” She answered, sounding pretty upset, while they walked towards the small office. They chatted a little while they drank their brewages, Susan had some pictures of the tanks scattered over her desk, they were going to make a brochure with them.

“Do you have the exact dates of the disappearances?”

“Not the exact ones, but I have some notes. The notebook is on this drawer… I can’t believe it, it’s locked!”

“And you don’t have the key?”

“No… Roger always leaves a copy in this box, but…” she showed them a chest with five buttons, “It has a mechanism he changes every month. The note doesn’t help me.”

“Let me try.” Said Marina, and Susan handed her the box.


	2. The Cat

The answer is… B!

_The four refers to the number of “points” the figures in every pair of figures have, only the B has four. A and C has eight, D three and E, seven._

“Thank you! I’m terrible with this kind of things. Here is the key.” She took it and unlocked the drawer, taking the notebook from inside, “Here is it. Three days ago, some fishes were gone from tank two,” she took out a little brochure with a map to point at it, “or at least, it was when we noticed. Later, from tank six,” she pointed another one, “and yesterday from tank three, since we saw it empty today… At some point some crabs and an octopus disappeared, but we don’t know the date.”

“Not only fishes?” Do you think someone is selling them?”

“I doubt it… Most creatures we have here are local, not exotic. They won’t be very valuable for sale.”

“Does someone have something against the aquarium?” Luke guessed.

“I can’t think of nobody.” She answered, finding the question unusual.

“We’ll look around some more while you are doing your work.”

“Of course. Ask me if you need anything.” She said while walking away.

“Can’t you ask the fishes?”

“No... I can barely understand them. I think they don’t have long term memory. A dolphin, maybe… but they are mammals.”

“Let’s see if we find something unusual, then.”

While they were examining the tanks and the signs, Susan was going from tank to tank to feed the creatures, measure the temperature and pH of the water, taking note on her notebook. They distracted themselves seeing how some of the fishes were eating, each type with its own diet. The smart octopuses received their meal on a jar, and they were capable of opening it! Small crustaceous were swimming graciously close to the surface to eat the small floating pieces of food.

The cat was now close to his bowl, eating. Luke got near to speak with him.

“Meow.”

“This is Whiskey.” He said. Marina still found fascinating he was able to understand.

“And does he know what happened here?” she said while scratching his head and he started to purr.

“Let’s see.” After a brief exchange, Luke laughed. “He is a glutton! He will tell us if we bring him his favourite meal?”

“And what is it?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter when someone solves the puzzle, or in a month.


	3. Pictures

_If your answer is broccoli, is…_

“I didn’t know cats liked broccoli…” She said surprised while the cat devoured the greenies.

“Well, meow.” Said Whiskey to Luke, while Marina just smiled because she found cute how her boyfriend was meowing to the cat, “I will keep my word, purr. No one stranger entered here while it was closed, the staff came as always to check the tanks and gave me food and water.”

“Could someone have entered without you noticing?”

“The only other entrance is for me, to the inner garden. A human can’t enter there. There is no way I wouldn’t see someone, meow. And with the rain these days, they would have left mud on the ground. There was some water… but some fishes jump and splash it, I guess.”

“that’s true… didn’t another cat entered?”

“No way! This is my territory, and I’m going to defend it.”

“You didn’t aet them, right?”

“If any of them jumped out… I would eat it. No way I will get near the water.”

“Okay, thanks for your help.”

Luke narrated her what he had just learnt.

“Then we can discard the idea of someone from the outside being responsible… Maybe is one of Susan’s co-workers? Hey, look at the tank from before.”

“What about it?”

“I’m not sure… can you ask Susan to bring the photos she had over her desk?”

“Sure, I’ll be right back.” Luke hurried to bring her, she came bringing the pictures she asked.

“Did you find something?” she asked while Marina passed the photos, until she found one with the tank she had in front of her.

“I think so… Look!”

_Can you find the differences?_

_What happened with the fishes?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next one is the conclusion, It will be posted once someone solves the puzzle (Just say the number of differences).  
> Extra points if you solve the case, there are clues for it on every chapter, the answer will be on the next part anyway.  
> If no one solves it, the last part will be posted in a month.
> 
> (Some cats love broccoli, in case you found that weird, we had to be careful with one of our cats, he loved broccoli so much he won't doubt to steal it!)


	4. And the responsible is....

“And with this, we found the one responsible!”

“And it’s in front of us!” Luke confirmed.

“What?” Asked a very confused Susan, “Where?”

“Can you take that rock out of the tank?”

“Um, sure.” She answered still confused, but quickly she came back with a ladder and a rod with a net attached to the point. When she tried to take out the rock, it moved! And it changed its color! “It’s the missing octopus, I can’t believe it! Not only did he escape his tank, he also reached the other tanks.”

“I’m afraid you are not going to recover the missing fishes…”

“Because this glutton octopus has eaten them,” she sighed, “I’m glad you came, or he could have devoured the entire aquarium little by little. We will need to change the lock of his tank.”

_And then this mystery was solved. They received free passes to visit the aquarium whenever they wanted, along with their families if they wished._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the last part. The next is just an extra with the "incorrect" pics.  
> I hope you had fun!


	5. Extra

Just two extra pics

**Author's Note:**

> That’s the first puzzle, have fun!


End file.
